Starting with the End in Mind

Over the last few weeks I’ve really had to think about just what my role is at Trinity. I am a person who will continually say “yes” to things until eventually I forget what it was I first said yes to.

My role here at Trinity is to design and lead a music ministry that creates an irresistible space where people can experience life change through Jesus Christ. Everything from leadership development with the music leaders, to working with the tech group to enhance our live sound, to sitting in with our lead pastor and our executive director of service programming to work out what our bottom lines are week to week.

One of the hardest things to do, I’ve found, is to say no to things. I feel as though we’re expected in ministry to just say yes to everything, because we’re doing “God’s work.” The problem is, I’m not responsible for video display, or ordering bibles, or setting up weddings. None of those things correspond to my role of creating a music ministry that creates and irresistible space.

I’m just venting. But I hope you can see my point.

Update 04/20/07: Just to clarify, I hope no one thinks I don’t enjoy what I do. I absolutely love it. I love the teams I’m working with, the leaders on staff and in our volunteers that just continually push me to be better at what I do. What scares me is that I’ll become distracted from what it is I’m supposed to do. In the same way that our church narrows our focus to our mission of leading a generation of people to life-change in Jesus, causing us to stay away from programs and ministries that don’t lead people to this mission, I want to make sure that whatever I fill up my day with is the things that will ultimately create the environments that will help further our mission. If I want to be the best leader I can be, I need to be careful not to major in the minors.